Toshiba Chromebook 2: Full HD Screen, Slimmer Design

Chromebooks are slowly transcending their reputation as barebones web surfing notebooks, and Toshiba’s Chromebook 2 is shaping up to be one of the strongest yet. Launching October 5th for $330, the Chromebook 2 sheds a few ounces from its predecessor’s body, while making the jump to full 1080p.

Sporting an aluminum-brushed body with slim edges and black island keys, the Chromebook 2 is looking more and more like Toshiba’s answer to the Apple MacBook Air. The notebook touts SkullCandy speakers, making it the first Chromebook with branded audio, according to Toshiba. Sound comes from beneath the keys rather than from the bottom or sides of the notebook. During our demo, audio sounded quite clear for a Chromebook.

The Chromebook 2 is powered by a 2.16-GHz dual-core Intel Celeron N2840 processor with up to 4GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. As with most Chromebooks, you’ll get 100GB of free Google Drive storage for 2 years after your purchase. The $330 configuration sports a 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 display, but you can opt for the $249, $1366 x 768 model if you’re on a budget.

The original Toshiba Chromebook is already one of our favorites in the category, boasting a vivid display, loud speakers and strong performance and battery life. Now that Toshiba’s added a slimmer design and full HD display, it seems like it will only get better. Stay tuned for our full review.

A devout gamer and tech enthusiast, Mike Andronico joined the Laptop team in July 2013. With a B.A. in Journalism from Purchase College and experience at GameNGuide, Examiner and 2D-X, Mike tackles everything from iPhone rumors to in-depth hardware reviews.